PENCH NATIONAL PARK – A QUICK WILDLIFE SAFARI GUIDE

INTRODUCTION

The Pench National Park, nestled in the heart of the Indian subcontinent, is the muse to Rudyard Kipling’s famous “The Jungle Book.”. Its glorious teak trees and pristine reservoirs are home to a plethora of wildlife species. In recent years, sustained conservation efforts have yielded great results.

Big cat populations have increased and so has their prey base. Therefore, the Pench National Park has grown to become a popular wildlife destination. Thousands of travellers throng this Forest Reserve every season. Additionally, it continues to act as a vital corridor in the Central Indian landscape.

1. WHERE EXACTLY IS PENCH NATIONAL PARK AND HOW DO WE GET THERE?

Pench is a premier Tiger Reserve and the only one to straddle across two states, i.e. Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. It is very well connected by air, rail, and road. The closest airport and railway station are at Nagpur.

From Nagpur, one can easily book a cab and drive to Pench. Depending on the side of the forest you choose to explore, you can reach your resort within 2 or 2 and half hours.

Another railhead connecting to Pench is the Gondia Junction which is roughly 4 hours away. Refer to the table below if you love road travel!

All mentioned distances are from the respective cities and National Parks to the Turia Gate

2. WHAT IS THE BEST TIME TO VISIT PENCH NATIONAL PARK?

The answer to this question depends on what you aim to get out of the trip. If you specifically want to see tigers, the best time would be the summer months, i.e. March to June, as they come to waterholes to cool themselves.

If you are an avid birder, mid-November to early February would be the best time to visit Pench. There will be plenty of sighting opportunities, favourable weather conditions, and a chance to witness some of the migratory species.

If you enjoy wildlife photography, visiting Pench in October, when the forest opens right after the monsoon, would be great. The lush deep greens would help in making more evocative frames.

If you prefer staying away from the crowd, you could plan a visit to Pench during the monsoons, i.e. July-September. As it is the off-season, naturally fewer vehicles enter the park.

Overall, in our opinion, October to April would be the best time to visit the Pench National Park.

3. WHAT ARE THE BEST GATES IN PENCH NATIONAL PARK?

The Pench National Park on the Maharashtrian side has two main core gates, namely Khursapar and Sillari. Likewise, there are three core gates on the Madhya Pradesh side. They are known as Turia, Karmajhiri and Jamtara. Safaris occur from all these gates and frequent sightings are reported across these zones.

Apart from the core gates, tourists can opt for a buffer safari. There are three primary gates to access the buffer zones of Pench, i.e. Khawasa, Rukhad and Teliya. Khawasa is close to the Wolf Sanctuary from where one can opt for a night safari. The Rukhad zone, also known as the Bison Sanctuary, offers stunning dense forest. The Teliya buffer rose to prominence when a group of lucky tourists spotted a black panther. Their video clipping went viral, consequently boosting tourism in Pench.

4. FAMOUS TIGERS OF PENCH

In the early 2000s, the BBC was filming the journey of a tigress raising her litter of cubs to adulthood. The film pursued a tigress known as Badi Mata and her cubs sired by Charger male. The documentary released in 2008 and established Pench on the world map as a tiger reserve. Some of the footage revealed tiger behaviour that was never seen before. You can watch the documentary here – Tiger: Spy in the Jungle.

One of the cubs who starred in the documentary became one of the most photographed tigresses in the world! Her name was Collarwali and she was also known as Mataram. She holds the record of giving birth to maximum number of cubs over a tiger’s lifetime. The record of 29 cubs over 8 litters stands till date!

Unfortunately, Mataram is no more, but her sister Langdi, loosely translating to the one with the limp, is still alive. She is a bold and beautiful female who has passed her prime. As a result, younger females are taking over her territory bit by bit as you read this blog.

In their prime, both these sisters mated with a male called Rayakassa who also has passed away.

At the time of publishing this blog, some of the frequently sighted tigers and tigresses are – Laxmi, L-Mark, Patdev, Bijamatta, Pardo, Baras, Bindu, Durga, Trishul, Raja and Bakhari. Click here to know more about the big cats of Pench!

5. WHAT ANIMALS CAN WE SIGHT ON A WILDLIFE SAFARI TO PENCH NATIONAL PARK?

The Pench National Park hosts a wide variety of wildlife. It shelters 30 plus species of mammals and over 200 species of birds. Additionally, it provides refuge to 20 plus reptile species and about a 150 butterfly species!

While everyone hopes for a glimpse of the majestic big cats, the Pench National Park is also home to other mammals, such as Dhole, Sloth Bears, Gaurs, Golden Jackals and Wolves. One should consider themselves lucky to sight any of these animals!

Some of the more ubiquitous animals are Spotted Deer, Sambar Deer, Langurs, Rhesus Macaques and Wild Boars. Also commonly sighted are birds such as the Indian Scops Owls, Indian Rollers, Oriental Honey Buzzards, Grey Hornbills, White-Throated Kingfishers, Rufous Treepies and Peafowl.

If you are interested to know more about the biodiversity of Pench, follow us on Instagram.  

CONCLUSION

One of the most scenic wildlife destinations of India, the Pench National Park, fondly known as Mowgli Land, is truly a haven for wildlife. Its easy accessibility and healthy population of tigers makes it an alluring destination for nature-lovers and wildlife photographers from across India.

Pench is also a great place for birdwatching, where one can witness several amazing species, including endangered ones such as vultures. Keep an eye out for these avians while you search for a big cat! We would love to be the ones to help you explore Pench!